Human-Caused Fire Forces Evacuations in Arizona's Maricopa County

Smoke rising from the Boulder View fire Thursday, June 27, 2024, near Phoenix. Air tankers and helicopters have joined nearly 200 firefighters battling a wildfire northeast of Phoenix that has forced dozens of residents to flee their homes.

Hundreds of fire crewmembers are working to suppress the Boulder View Fire in Maricopa County, which has led to the evacuation of over 60 residences in a suburb of Phoenix, according to Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

The fire's origins are under investigation by the department, which has identified it as "human" caused. It started around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, 5 miles east of Carefree, just outside of Scottsdale, and has significantly spread since.

According to the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) on its website, "Nearly 85 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson."

The blaze "stayed very active overnight, showing extreme fire behavior with 20 to 40-foot flame lengths in some areas," reported the state government's website on Friday.

As of Saturday, the blaze has covered 3,736 acres, and is 0 percent contained. Containment percentage can change overnight largely due to weather conditions and winds. The department's Saturday press release states that 242 personnel are assigned to the fire, including seven hand crews, 11 engines, two water tenders and six helicopters.

"Airtankers and helicopters were used along the south edge of the fire to improve a two-track road for use as a holding feature," the release reads. The Tonto National Forest, which is helping fight the fire, issued a public reminder on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday for civilians to not fly their aircrafts and drones while crews are fighting the Boulder View Fire.

Tiffany Davila, a public affairs officer for Arizona's Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told Newsweek in an email on Saturday afternoon, "The southeast side of the fire is still fairly active and is holding a lot of heat. Hand crews remain engaged within that area and if necessary today helicopters will support with bucket work for lingering hotspots."

Davila noted that "dense, dry vegetation" is helping fuel the fire, along with the region's high temperatures, which are soaring over 100 degrees, and wind gusts between 15 and 20 miles per hour. The department noted that even with the "unseasonably high humidity of 26 to 31 percent...fire activity was moderate to extreme."

In Scottsdale, a suburb of the state's capital, 60 residences have been put into "GO" evacuate status, the department's press release stated. This means "danger in your area is imminent and life threatening," according to the nationwide program implemented in Arizona.

Other neighborhoods have been put on "SET" notice, encouraging residences to relocate to a shelter outside the area, Davila confirmed. On Friday, the Red Cross opened an evacuation center in Scottsdale. Maricopa County is the most populus in the state, with over 4.5 million people.

The Boulder View Fire comes as the region has experienced higher than average temperatures. The National Weather Service (NWS) Phoenix noted on X on Saturday that Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport reached the record warm low of 92 degrees on June 28, beating the 2016 record warm low of 89.

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